The present invention relates in general to easels for supporting books, documents, notes, drafts and the like and pertains, more particularly, to an easel for aiding the operator of a video display terminal by supporting the book, document, note, draft or the like at an easy to read angle while the easel is attached to the video display terminal and further allowing the easel to be selectively reoriented.
Very often documents, notes and the like to be used or referred to by a computer operator are not adjacent to the monitor or video display terminal where it would be most useful for the operator. Operator fatigue and reduced production and output can be traced to the operator continually refocusing from screen to paper and back again in order to read the pertinent document. With a conventional easel it is generally necessary to provide a relatively complex attachment method for attachment of the easel to the work device, for example, the video display terminal (hereinafter "VDT"). Typically, the attachment method requires an undesirable permanent attachment of the easel to the VDT. It will be understood that the present invention is not limited to use on a VDT, however, the VDT device provides a clear example of how the present invention operates. Conventional easels have another drawback since use is limited to a particular style or model because the VDT will have been constructed or adapted in a specific manner to specifically work with a particular easel.
Another important drawback to conventional easels is the overly difficult methods typically used to reorient the easel. Conventional easels are often structurally insufficient to support more than a few documents at a time, support even one bulky or heavy document, book or the like, or support their own weight.
Accordingly one object of the present invention is to provide an improved document easel that provides an elegant attachment method. The component member shapes of the present invention lend themselves to a simple attachment of the easel to a VDT or similar device in a manner that does not require permanent attachment of the easel so that the easel can be moved from one side of the VDT to the other or to another VDT.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved document easel that is not limited in its use to a particular equipment style or model. The equipment on which the easel of the present invention can be used generally is not limited due at least in part to the flexibility of the preferred material suggested herein for manufacturing the invention and in part to the method of attachment.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved document easel that is easily reoriented.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved document easel capable of supporting a number of documents, notes and the like. The weight of the documents supported can be up to a few pounds.